In August of 2023, Lahaina, Maui was devastated by a raging wildfire. The Maui police released a list of 388 people missing, with at least 97 dead since the Lahaina wildfire began on August 8.

The primary fires left behind mass destruction in the historical town of Lahaina, Maui, with more than 2,700 structures lost in the fire. Maui County, suing Hawaiian Electric Company for negligence, says that “the fire started because of a fallen power line.” In response to this allegation, Hawaiian Electric Company released a statement, claiming that the complaint was “factually and legally irresponsible,” and they believed that West Maui had been de-energized for six plus hours before the second blaze started. 

Another factor in the formation of the fire was the mix of land and atmospheric conditions that can create “fire weather” such as Hurricane Dora, a category four storm near the south of the Hawaiian islands. This brought concerningly high winds when the fire broke out. Police are still looking for the 388 people who are still unaccounted for. Officials have extended their search to the sea in hopes of finding the missing people.